Playland-Not-at-the-Beach, February 2011 update

Who could have guessed that the Scarecrow of OZ was a member of ACE? Derek Willhite of Santa Rosa, CA came to the Wizard of OZ weekend event at Playland-Not-at-the-Beach in full costume and make-up. In the picture are three ACE members: Richard Tuck, Derek Willhite, and Frank Biafore, all volunteers at Playland-Not-at-the-Beach. Photo courtesy of Playland-Not-at-the-Beach.

“This is one of the busiest times of the year for us,” Richard Tuck explains about Playland-Not-at-the-Beach. “The regular theme parks are closed and people want to stay warm and dry, so they come to stay indoors with us. In February we feature Laffing Sal’s Valentine Hijinks and later in the month a tribute to the Addams Family.

“Our Roller Coaster Rampage project is getting more exciting. We are collecting archival footage of the world’s best coasters. Our goal is that eventually guests would be able to choose from 1000 different coasters before boarding our attraction and getting a front seat ride on the coaster of their choice. For the coasters that no longer exist, we are hopeful of attracting engineering students would like to recreate a rendition of the ride.”

This would be an opportunity to travel anywhere in the world or even back in time to sit in the front seat of any coaster selected. It would all be menu-driven off a computer. Anyone interested in helping with the project, please email Richard at RichardD56@aol.com.

For more details on what’s happening at Playland-Not-at-the-Beach in February, see: http://www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org/calendar_01.html

Playland-Not-at-the-Beach nonprofit Museum of Fun, open to the public every Saturday, Sunday, and school holiday. Open evenings for private events 365 days a year. 10979 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530 (510) 592-3002. http://www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org . Admission $10 for kids (to 13), $10 for seniors (55 and up), and $15 for general admission. Admission includes 34 free pinball machines, penny arcades, carnival games, treasure hunts, miniature dioramas, and surprises around every corner. ACE members receive a $5.00 discount on admission upon presentation of their ACE membership cards.